Apparatus for doffing lint collection chambers



July 26, 1960 A. H. BAHNsoN, JR 2,946,174

APPARATUS FOR DOFFING LINT COLLECTION CHAMBERS Filed June 19, 1957 4Sheets-Sheet 1 SQ MA g- BY m, JM@ & PJM

ATTORNEYS July 26, 1960 A. H. BAHNsoN, JR

APPARATUS FOR DoFFING LINT' COLLECTION CHAMBERS Filed June 19, 1957 4Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Agr/ew Ba/WwamL//f i ATTORNEYS JAW@ x, PMA

July 26, 1960 A. H. BAHNsoN, JR 2,946,174

APPARATUS FOR DOFFING LINT COLLECTION CHAMBERS Filed June 19, 1957 4Sheets-Sheet 3 V) A Q *l A INVENTOR BY WJCCWAMMAM ATTORNEYS July 26,1960 `A. H. BAHNsoN, JR 2,946,174

APPARATUS FOR noFFING LINT COLLECTION CHAMBERS Filed June 19, 1957 4Sheets-Sheet 4 all INVENTOR Agnew Ba/mor/,J/t WAM, JWMOMAW w N A A EATTORNEYS United States Patent O APPARATUS FR DFFING LINT COLLECTIONCHAMBERS Agnew H. Bahnson, Jr., Winston-Salem, N.C., assignor toWachovia Bank and Trust Company, Winston-Salem, N.C., a corporation ofNorth Carolina, trustee Filed June 19, 1957, ser. No. 666,507 16 claims.(ci. 51-56) This invention relates to machines such as spinning anddrawing frames and the like for processing textlle iibers and moreparticularly to such machines as are provided with pneumatic suctionequipment for keep- -ing the machines relatively free from lint in thevicinity of the libers being processed. This is a particularly importantproblem where the fibers are in a loose or only slightly twisted strandsuch as a rove for the reason that iibers in such condition are mostlikely to break and also shed loose particles which grow into liuts asthey are blown about. These loose particles and uis can easily becomeentangled in the roves and tend to reduce quality of product. Moreover,the lint and uiis get into the moving parts of the machines which isalso undesirable.

One type of apparatus that has been developed for clearing textilemachines such as a spinning frame and the like or" lint and iluis aswell as broken strands is comprised of a plurality of air suction tubespositioned adjacent the strands as they come oli the drawing rolls,these tubes including an intake orice or slot in alignment with eachstrand. The air suction maintained at these oriiices is effective fordrawing in loose particles in the vicinity of the strands and also forcatching and drawing in the ends of any strands which should happen tobreak between the drawing rolls and the spindles. The collection tubesare themselves manifolded so to speak into a larger central duct whichruns for the entire length of and inside the spinning frame, and asuction fan connected to one end of this central duct serves to draw theair and collected lint and broken strand ends into a filter box wherethe lint and broken strand material are caught by a iilter screen, theiltered air being then discharged.

According to present practice, the lint, broken strand ,ends and iiuiistrapped in the filter box is removed i.e.

doied by hand, put into carts and then carried back to the picker room,forexample, and reprocessed with new fibers. However, this is notentirely satisfactory since the filter boxes may become oVerlilled andinterfere with proper suction of the lint into the collection tubesalong the machines. Also, the labor cost of doiing each filter box byhand is considerable.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic systemfor periodically doiiing the filter boxes and conveying the lint back tothe picker room for reprocessing.

More specifically the automatic dotiing system includes a duct undersuction for conveying the lint back to the picker room, this conveyingduct being located for example below the iloor of the room in which themachines are located and servicing a row or plurality of rows of thetextile machines. A conduit extends from the iilter box associated withthe suction collection system of each one or a pair of machines to theconveying duct. At the point where each such conduit enters theconveying duct, a vertically arranged swinging damper is provided andthis damper is normally held closed both by gravity -underframe portion.

and by the suction of the fan in the combined suction and filter boxunit which is higher than that in the conveying duct. In this way eachof the conduits is sealed ot from the conveying duct so long as therelated suction collection system is in operation, and the lint remainsin the lint collection chamber of the related filter box. To do the lintfrom the ilter box a damper in the filtered air outlet side of the fanor in the inlet side of the fan, depending upon the type of fan used, isclosed for a brief period by a solenoid or equivalent actuating meanscontrolled by a timing unit. When this damper closes, it chokes back thesuction fan and takes the suction pressure oil the box from that source.The suction prevailing in the conveying duct then opens the damper atthe end of the conduit causing the lint to be sucked out of thecollection cham-ber through the conduit and into and through theconveying duct to the picker room or other location for reprocessing.The timer can be arranged to open and close the damper in the filteredair outlet rapidly several times to make certain that the rapidinterchange of suction more or less shakes the lint and sucks all of itinto the conveying duct.

The conveying duct can either be equipped with a material conveying fanor it can be the same duct as that used for removing the motor alleyheat as described in my co-pending application Serial No. 591,765, iiledlune 15, 1956, now United States Letters Patent No. 2,898,727 grantedAugust 11, 1959, a filter of theconical type being inserted in the ductto separate the lint from the hot motor alley air, and the lint beingcarried from the filter under suction to the picker room.

The foregoing, as well as other objects and advantages will become moreapparent from the following detailed description of two practicalembodiments of the invention and the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a somewhat diagrammatic view of a portion of a spinning roomcontaining a plurality of spinning frames, one of the frames being shownand requipped with an automatic system for doiiing the lint from thecollection chamber of the combined suction and iilter box, the conveyingduct including a material handling suction fan.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the lint collectionchamber;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. l but wherein the con'- veying ductforms part of the system for removing the heat in the motor alley; and fFig. 4 is also a view similar toFig. 1 but illustrating an embodimentwherein the suction produced on each machine for drawing the lint andbroken thread ends into the collection chamberof the filter box is notestablished by a fan individual to each machine but rather isestablished by a central suction fan with suction ducts extending to aplurality of such machines.

With reference now to Figs.4 1 and 2, the iloor of the spinning room isindicated at 10 upon which stands a plurality of spinning machines,arranged in rows, the motor end portion only of the machine beingillustrated to simplify the drawings. The roving bobbins 11 are mountedbetween the creel boards 12 and the roving 13 from the same is drawn ybyand between rolls 14 for winding on the spindle bobbins 15. The latterare driven -in pairs at each side of the machine by meansof endlesstapes 16 which are driven olf a cylinder 17 'that extendsv for the fulllength of the machine in the so-called The cylinder 17 is driven `by amotor l18.

The air suction apparatus for collecting loose particles of lint, fluiisand brokenends comprises a central'collection duct 19 extending for thefull length of the machine beneath the level of the rolls. The end ofduct 19 at 4the end of the machine opposite the end shown is closed -29of theraxial intake, tangential discharge type.

and the other end of duct 19 is connected to the inlet of a combinedsuction yand filter box unitv 20 situated above the drive motor 1S. Theunit 2li functions to maintain la suction of about 5" in the collectionduct 19, to filter the fiber laden air which flows into the same and todischarge the cleaned air.

Connected to duct 19 by means of tubings 2l are a plurality ofcollectionflutes 22 each containinga plurality of spaced slots 23located where each roving 13 passes from the rolls 14. These slots suckin any loose lint and also suck in the end of any rovi-ng should thelatter break between the rolls 14 and spindle bobbin 15.

The combined suction and filter unit comprises a casing 24. that isdivided by a filter screen 25 into a rear lint collection chamber 26 anda front suction fan chamber 27. As shown in Fig. 2, the duct 19 isconnected to the lint collection chamber 26 and delivers the lint ladenair to it. The lint is stopped by the lter screen 25 and hence collectsin this chamber. It has been found that there is a tendency for the lintto swirl as the air enters chamber 26 which causes the lint to Irope upand form hard ends. To break up this undesirable swirling action, aninclined bafiie 28 is installed in the chamber 26. This tends to throwthe lint over to the opposite side of the chamber from which the baiiie2S slants.

Located within the front chamber 27 is a suction fan The fan 29maintains the suction Vin the lint collection chamber 26 and draws thecleaned air through the filter screen 25, thencethrough the fan 29 andthen discharges this air through the tangential outlet duct 30. Fan 29can be driven by any suitable means such as an electric motor 3l mountedatop the casing 24 and connected to the im rotor by means of a beltdrive 32.

In order to remove the lint from the collection chamber 26, it will beseen that a conduit 33 extends downwardly from the lower end of thechamber, at the side of the baffle 28 where the lint tends to collect,and terminates within a conveying duct 34 that extends beneath the iloor10. A material handling fan 35 connected to the end of this ductestablishes a suction in the duct 34 of about 2" to 3" which is lowerthan that maintained in the collection chamber 26.

The lower terminal end of conduit 33 within duct 34 includes ahorizontal conduit portion 33a extending parallel with duct 34. One endof the conduit portion 33a is closed and the opposite end is closable bya damper plate 36 preferably hanging vertically and hinged at 37 at itstop so as to normally stay in a closed position. The damper plate 36 isopenable, however, by the suction maintained in the conveying duct 34whenever the suction is cut oi or reduced in the filter box lintcollection chamber 26 to a value lower than that normally maintained inthe chamber 26 and hence sucks all of the lint out of the chamber intothe conveying duct and through the material handling fan 35 back to thepicker room. If desired, the damper plate 36 may be located elsewhere inthe conduit 33 so long as it performs its function of opening to placethe lint chamber 26 in communication with the conveying duct 34 wheneverthe suction in the lint chamber is reduced. It is also possible toprovide an `arrangement other than that based upon a pressuredifferential for opening the conduit 33 to the conveying duct 34whenever it is desired to empty the lint chamber.

To cut olf the suction normally maintained in the lint chamber 26, themotor 31 driving fan 29 could be stopped but the same effect is producedby closing off the air outlet duct from the lter box such as by -adamper vane 38 which normally remains open. If the suction fan is of theradial type which has no scroll and tangential outlet, the necessarysuction cut-off to the lint collection chamber can be eiected by meansof a similar damper vane on the intake side of the fan. The vane 38 canbe actuated by a solenoid 39 periodically energized by means of a timer40. This timer also is used to control the similar solenoids on theother suction and lint collection boxes associated with the othermachines in the room having similar `arrangements for emptying the lintinto the conveying duct 34. As soon as the suction from fan 29 is cut0E, the damper 37 opens thus transferring the suction to theconveyingduct 34. In addition to emptying the lint chamber 26, the reducedsuction obtaining in the lint chamber also is still sufiicient tomaintain a reduced but workable operating suction pressure at the flutes22 along the machine. Preferably the timer 40 is also arranged to openand close the damper plate 38 rapidly several times at each operation tomake certain that the rapid interchange of suction between fan 29 andfan 35 more or less shakes the lint and sucks all of it into theconveying duct 34. Also it is preferred that the timer arrange to doffonly one and possibly two or three of the boxes at a time but not anentire row.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 the arrangement is Abasically similarto that of Figs. l and 2 and hence corresponding components have beenassigned the same numerals but with primes added for purposes ofdistinction. To remove the motor alley heat, the drive motor 18' isenclosed within a box 4l and the air outlet 30 from the filterl box unit20' is connected so as to deliver its air which is also heated to someextent into the enclosure 41. An outlet duct 42 through the floor 10within the enclosure 41 communicates with a central heat removal duct43, in which a suction, corresponding to the suction in duct 34, ismaintained by a fan 44. Consequently, duct 43 serves to remove the heatfrom motor 18 and the heated air discharged from outlet 30 as well as toconvey away the lint trapped in the lint chamber of the boxes 20. Toseparate the lint from air in duct 43, a conical lter screen 45 may beinserted therein and a pipe 46 connected to the small end of screen 45as shown. Suc tion is maintained in pipe 46 by suitable means and thelint is carried through pipe 46 to the picker room or other point ofdisposal.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 4 is similar to Figs. l and 2 insofar asthe inventive concept is concerned but differs structurally in that thelter unit on each machine does not incorporate its own suction fan.Components in Fig. 4 which correspond to those in Fig. l have beenassigned like reference numerals but with double` primes 'added forpurposes of distinction.

As a matter of economy, some installations of suction collection systemsVfor a great number of machines operat ing in a single room will provideone central fan for establishing the suction on about fifteen to twentymachines. With such an arrangement the central fan 50 is so located asto establish the necessary primary suction in a main suction duct 5l.Branching off the main suction duct at each machine is a suction duct 52that is connected with the collection chamber 26 in the filter box forthat machine through a filter screen 25" which prevents any of theV lintand thread ends from escaping into the suction duct system, thustrapping all of the lint and thread ends in the collection chamber 26".A normally closed conduit 33 with gravity closable damper plate 36extends from the collection chamber 26 on the filter box of each machineto the conveying duct 34 in which a secondary suction is established bya material handling fan similar to fan 35 in Fig. l, and a damper plate53 is provided in the suction duct 52. The damper plate is normally openbut is closed periodically such as by the solenoid 39 and timer 40"organization thus shutting oi the higher primary suction from thesuction duct 52 on the collection chamber 26" whereby the damper plate36" in the conduit part 33a" will be drawn open, thustransferring thesuction in the. collection chamber 26 to the lower secondary suctionprevailing in the conveying duct 34, and all of the lint and thread endswhich have been accumulatingl in the collection chamber 26" will bedrawn out of the same through the conduit 33" into the conveying duct34".

medir.

In conclusion it is to be understood that various modifications may bemade in the construction described and illustrated without, however,departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept as dened inthe vappended claims.

I claim: p 1. An assembly for collecting and removing broken thread endsand loose lint in spinning and similar textile fiber strand workingmachines comprising a collecting duct extending longitudinally of themachine, intake orifice means disposed adjacent the fibrous strandsbeing worked `and communicating with said collecting duct, a filter boxincluding a collection chamber for collecting lint and thread ends, saidcollecting duct being connected to said collection chamber, meansestablishing a primary suction effective to draw the lint and threadends through said collecting duct into said collection chamber foraccumulation therein, a conveying duct under a secondary suction, anormally closed conduit extending from said collection chamber to saidconveying duct, and means for rendering said primary suction ineffectiveand opening said conduit thereby to place said collection chamber underthe suction prevailing in said conveying duct and draw the accumulatedlint and thread ends out of said collection chamber into said conveyingduct.

2. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the suction in saidconveying duct is established by a material handling fan.

3. An assembly as dened in claim l wherein said machine includes a drivemotor at one end thereof and which further includes means enclosing saidmotor within a housing and a conduit connecting an outlet from saidhousing to said conveying duct for removing the heated air from saidmotor.

4. An assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said conveying ductincludes filter means for separating the loose lint and thread ends fromthe heated motor air passing through the same.

5. An assembly as defined in claim l wherein said conduit from saidcollection chamber to said conveying duct is normally closed by a dampertherein, said damper being pivotally mounted to close by gravity andbeing opened by the secondary suction in said conveying duct when saidprimary suction is rendered ineffective.

6. An assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein said pivotally mountedgravity closable damper in said conduit is located at the lower endthereof within said conveying duct.

7. An assembly as defined in claim l wherein said means for renderingsaid primary suction ineffective cornprises means for shutting it offfrom said collection chamber and said conduit includes a damper thereinnormally remaining closed but which is opened automatically by thesecondary suction in said conveying duct when said primary suction isshut od from said collection chamber.

.8. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for renderingsaid primary suction ineffective |and opening said conduit to place saidcollection chamber under the suction prevailing in said conveying ductis `arranged for periodic operation by a timer.

9. An -assembly as dened in claim 1 wherein said means for renderingsaid primary suction ineffective comprises a normally open rst dampermovable to a closed position to shut od said primary suction from saidcollection chamber and said conduit includes a normally closed seconddamper therein movable to an open position when said first damper movesto a closed position.

:10. An assembly as dened in claim 1, wherein said collection chamberincludes an inclined bafiie for defiecting the lint laden air cominginto the same through said collecting duct and said conduit is connectedto said collection chamber opposite the air intake side of said bafiie.

11. An assembly for collecting and `removing broken thread ends andloose lint in spinning and similar textile ber strand working machinescomprising a collecting under a secondary suction, a normally closedconduit extending from said collection chamber to said conveying duct,and means for shutting off the primary suction in said collectionchamber and opening said conduit thereby to place said collectionchamber under the suction prevailing in said conveying duct and drawaccumulated lint and thread ends out of said collection chamber andthrough said conduit into said conveying duct.

12. An assembly for collecting and removing broken thread ends and looselint in spinning and similar textile fiber strand Working machinescomprising a collecting duct extending longitudinally of the machine,intake ori.

lice means disposed adjacent the fibrous strands being worked andcommunicating with said collecting duct, a filter box including acollection chamber for lint and thread ends, said collectio'n chamberbeing connected with said collecting duct and said collection chamberincluding a screen portion defining at least a part of one Wall thereof,means establishing a primary suction in said collection chamber throughsaid screen portion thereby to draw broken thread ends and lint throughsaid collecting duct into said collection chamber for accumulationtherein, a conveying duct under a secondary suction, a normally closedconduit extending from said collection chamber to' said conveying duct,and means for cutting ofi said primary suction from said collectionchamber and opening said conduit thereby to place said collectionchamber under the suction prevailing in said conveying duct and draw theaccumulated lint and thread ends out of said collection chamber andthrough said conduit into said conveying duct.

13. An assembly for collecting and removing broken thread ends and looselint in spinning and similar textile fiber strand working machinescomprising a co1- lecting duct extending longitudinally of the machine,intake orifice means disposed adjacent the fibrous strands being workedand communicating with said collecting duct, a filter bo'x including acollection chamber for lint and thread ends, said collecting duct beingconnected to said collection chamber, a suction duct communicating withsaid collection chamber through filter screen means, the suctionestablished in said suction duct establishing a primary suction in saidcollection chamber thereby to' draw lint and thread ends through saidcollecting duct into said collection chamber for 4accumulation therein,a conveying duct under suction, a normally closed conduit extending fromsaid collection chamber to said conveying duct, and means for closing oisaid suction duct from said collection chamber and opening said conduitthereby to transfer the suction in said collection chamber to thesecondary suction prevailing in said conveying duct and draw theaccumulated lint and thread ends out of said collection chamber andthrough said conduit into said conveying duct.

14. An assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein said means for closingoff said suction duct comprises a normally open damper therein andwherein said means for opening said conduit comprises a normally closeddamper therein.

15. An assembly for collecting and removing broken thread ends and looselint in spinning and similar textile ber strand working machines,comprising a collecting duct extending longitudinally of the machine,intake orifice means disposed adjacent the fibrous strands being workedand communicating with said collecting duct, a

combined suction and `filter box including a vlter screen dividing theinterior of said box into a fan chamber and a collection chamber forlint and thread ends, said collecting duct being connected to saidcollection chamber, a suction fan in said fan chamber establishing aprimary suction in said collection chamber to draw lint and thread endsthrough said collecting duct into saidV collection chamber foraccumulation therein, a conveying duct under a secondary suction, anormally closed conduit extending from said collection chamber to saidconveying duct and means for shutting o the primary suction in saidvcollection chamber and opening said conduit thereby to place saidcollection chamber under the secondary suction prevailing in saidconveying duct and draw the accumulated lint and thread ends out of saidcollection chamber and through said conduit into said conveying duct.

16. An assembly for collecting and removing broken thread ends and looselint in spinning and similar textile ber strand working machinescomprising a collecting duct extending longitudinally of the machine,intake orifice means disposed adjacent the librous strands being workedand communicating with said collecting duct, a filter box including acollection chamber for collecting lint and thread ends,A said collectingduct being connected toI said collection chamber, means establishing aprimary suction eiective to draw the lint and thread ends through saidcollecting duct into said collection chamber for accumulation therein,said primary suction being sufcient to retain said accumulation of lintand thread ends in said collection chamber, a conveying duct under asecondary suction, a conduit extending from said collection chamber tosaid conveying duct, and means for rendering said primary suctionineffective to retain said accumulation of lint and thread ends in saidcollection chamber thereby eecting a Withdrawal yof said accumulatedlint and thread ends from saidA collection chamber through said counduitinto said conveying duct.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 908,341-Shipp Dec. 29, 1908 2,799,356 Hewitt July 16, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS1,084,314 France July 7, 1954 1,121,726 France May 7, 1956

